The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-08-04
Sara Bernhardt ON Death.

Sara Bernhardt has written an arti-
Gle on death" for the San Francisco
Examiner. Here are some of the
things she says:
have great love of death.
An actress must necessarily think
something about the end of existence,
for she is so often called upon to por-
tray it.
When one has begun to think on
death, there are but two ways of act
ing;
We can put our hands to our ears,
shut our eyes, and run away from the
monster.
Or else we can look calmly into the
hollow eyes of the deaths head and ac-
custom ourselves to that which must
inevitably overtake US.
No truly great actress can dispense
with a special study of the death ago
ny and all the moods and feelings
which lead up to the supreme moment.
If l have succeeded at all as an artist
it has been because of this study.
The study of death is an art by itself
and a very difficult art.
The painter has living models before
him, and here experience is the small
est element which he must take. into
account.
He sees with his eyes. He is not
called upon TO see with his soul.
1t is perfectly true that have slept
in a coffin. 1t was a very valuable ex-
perience. Nothing SO thoroughly
taught me the resignation of death as
this apparently crude experiment.
A coffin is the modern symbol. It
sp l. 10 Ill
Citations of childhood have made it stand
for death.
To sleep in coffin in darkness is al
most to die.
In the morning you are surprised to
be alive.
There is always a road to death and
one must know that road well to get
there on the stage.
Among my stage-deaths count
''Fedora" as an extremely unsatisfac-
tory one.
NJ. Sardou has not given me enough
time to die.
l have been compelled, therefore, in
spite of my convictions. to indicate
more strongly than like the symp-
toms OF poisoning.
But if you have noticed me well you
will have seen that the determination
to die is made apparent early in the act
and even emphasized.
This is what an artist must do when
the text is not sufficient for the pur-
pose.
Now, Camille" is great death.
The nature of the story happily
helped out the somewhat mediocre tai
ent of the son of M. Dumas.
By the very nature of the story, the
death is a prolonged one.
In addition must concede that it is
very natural.
know that too well.
My sister died just such death.
Can any one not an artist conceive
the pleasure of playing such a part
acting slow death upon the stage?
1t is the highest artistic delight pos
sible to great artist, and you can
easily see, if you stop to think, that
these deaths must necessarily be more
artistic than those which end in con-
tortions. And these latter are mere
gymnastics; whereas such deaths as oc-
cur in plays like Camille" require
great knowledge and great art.
| have devoted two Of my modest
works of art to death.
My painting, the Young Girl and
Death, was drawn from model, all
but the face, and, of course. death.
/ cannot paint well. / do not pre-
tend to do SO. But my strong sympa-
thy with the subject gave, believe,
the proper expression to that young
girls face.
1t is absolute innocence.
Death has her in his grasp, and,
happy thing! she does not know. it.
My other work-the piece of sculp-
ture, AFTER the Storms well done.
| am a fair hand at sculpture, and
this time. at least, the clay responded
to my touch.
An old fisherwoman is sitting with
her drowned son in her lap
His limbs are not rigid. They are
disposed as if in sleep.
l have made him as beautiful as ]
knew how.
This poor boy had brief struggle
with the sea, and all was soon over
with him.
As he lies in his mothers lap he is
unaware of death.
But look at the mothers face, drawn
with grief and wrinkled with age
She casts stony look at her dead
son and suffers that which no one can
see.
She knows death because she lives.